Activism

Proposed Bill Could Stop Landlords from Charging Costly Security Deposits

The author of the bill, Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, said that in San Francisco, tenants could be subject to paying an additional $15,000 to move into a $5,000-a-month apartment — the average cost of a two-bedroom unit in the city. Those up-front fees are causing renters to take out predatory loans, go into debt or not move at all. “Landlords lose out on good tenants and tenants stay in apartments that are too crowded or have unsafe living conditions,” Haney said in a press release. “Creating a rental deposit cap is a simple change that will have an enormous impact on housing affordability for families in California.”

Published

4 years ago

December 26, 2022

Oakland Post

Supervisor Matt Haney speaks at the press conference outside Boeddeker Park in Tenderloin, San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2021. Supervisor Haney announced the city’s plan to expand funding for the City’s Pit Stop public restroom program. (Harika Maddal)

By Olivia Wynkoop
Bay City News Foundation

A new bill would protect California renters from paying more than a month’s rent for security deposits.

Announced during the first week of California’s new legislative session, Assembly Bill 12 would prohibit the frequent practice of landlords charging two to three times the amount of monthly rent for a security deposit.

If passed, California would be the 12th state in the county to cap security deposits.

“Landlords lose out on good tenants and tenants stay in apartments that are too crowded or have unsafe living conditions,” Haney said in a press release. “Creating a rental deposit cap is a simple change that will have an enormous impact on housing affordability for families in California.”

San Francisco-based speech therapist Alexis Ewing said it took her a decade to save up enough money to afford the security deposit that would allow her to move from her previous apartment into her new home.

“I’ve been able to afford higher rent for a while now but saving up the 10,000 dollars in move-in costs took me years,” Ewing said. “That’s a down payment on a house in the rest of the country.”

Often times landlords say these extra fees help them keep up with the increasing costs of repairs for units. Haney said the bill would not prevent landlords from fining tenants who cause damage to apartments that is higher than the amount of the security deposit.

“This bill will remove a huge barrier to housing access and affordability,” said Haney. “Our state can’t just continue to do things like we always have. We need to make common sense, immediate changes to make things easier for the people of California during this housing crisis.”

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

4 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.